The Girls: still friends

Together at primary school in the 1940s, the 10 former Toowoomba South pupils have celebrated more than 60 years of friendship with a book which chronicles their lives.

And for the past 14 years, the second Thursday in December has been marked on the calendar for an annual reunion lunch.

One of "The Girls", Floris Wilson, described the group's friendship as unique.

"There wouldn't be many young people these days who have as many as 10 friends from primary school they have kept in touch with," she said.

"I know even with our grandchildren, they only really have one or two special friends. They don't tend after they leave school to have this contact, so I think that's what makes us very unique."

Gail Burke said when "The Girls" were looking for a reason why they remained friends, one of their number, Marlene Sullivan, had likened their friendship to a sisterhood.

"As Marlene said, we were friends because most of us didn't have siblings our own age. They were either much older, or much younger," she said.

"So these friends became our family."

Joan Harland said the second Thursday in December was always marked on the calendar well ahead and was much anticipated. "During the year we don't keep in touch with one another, so it's so important to be here and catch up," she said.

Although five of the group no longer live in Toowoomba, eight of them met yesterday for their annual reunion, where they received a copy of the 43-page book "The Girls. A Chronicle of over 60 years of friendship".

The book includes a biography of each of The Girls as well as details and anecdotes of their time at school and a "biographical tapestry" of how their lives overlapped.

Mrs Burke, who compiled the book, said she had asked each of The Girls to send her their autobiographies.

"For years we've been saying when we sit down and swap stories that we should record this. We'd tell a little anecdote, someone would laugh and we'd say we should put this down," she said.

Mrs Burke's husband, Clarrie, joked that the next thing the group would do was a calendar, wearing only wine glasses. "Calendar girls next year," he said.